5k_balletfandomcom-20200214-history
5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury
5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury ''is a memoir written by Jennifer Starzec and Sarah Todd Hammer. It is the first installment of the 5k Ballet series, preceding Determination. This book chronicles Sarah Todd's and Jen's journeys with Transverse Myelitis , a rare neuroimmune disorder that causes spinal cord damage. This book can be found on Lulu and Amazon Kindle . Summary 8-year-old dancer Sarah Todd is a dancer, and dancing is her most favorite thing in the world. Like any other ordinary day, she attends ballet class after school on April 19th, 2010; however, things take a turn for the worst when she develops a horrible headache and, moments later, her arms suddenly become paralyzed, falling limp at her sides. Though her mom immediately brings her to the emergency room, the doctor sends her home that night, convinced that she is faking it. But when Sarah Todd awakes the next morning, her legs are paralyzed as well-- she is now a quadriplegic, unable to move anything from the neck-down. 13-year-old Jen is a runner who absolutely loves racing in Cross Country, Track, and 5k races. However, on August 16th, 2011 she wakes up with a pain in her neck. Just hours later, this progresses to excruciating pain in her arms, shoulders, and upper back, and she begins to notice that it's increasingly difficult to move her left hand. All of a sudden, her right arm falls to her side, completely paralyzed. Jen is rushed to the hospital right away, but by the end of the day, she has lost the ability to walk, sit up, and move her arms. Both girls are diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis , a rare disorder which damaged their spinal cords. Throughout ''5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury, both girls fight to beat the odds and achieve their biggest goals: to dance and run again. 5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury starts in April 2010 and ends in June 2012. The events are immediately followed by those in Determination. Quotes “But I had already fallen. Fallen into this deep, dark hole. I was trapped. Trapped in this nightmare.” -'' Sarah Todd Hammer'' “Before I knew it, I was once again being whisked down the hallways at the new hospital into an even bigger room, one that, unbeknownst to me, would be my home for what would feel like a long time.” - Jennifer Starzec “Before I knew it, I was racing across the highway. For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to think.” - Sarah Todd Hammer “All of a sudden, my right hand was dead, unplugged, and my left was definitely not working right.” - Jennifer Starzec Facts About the Book *Though some mild details (such as names) may have been changed, all of the major events in ''5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury ''are true. It is a memoir, and the authors wrote about their own experiences. *Jen Starzec was only 15 years old and Sarah Todd Hammer 11 at the time that this book was published. *1/3 of the proceeds of this book are donated the the Transverse Myelitis Association . *Transverse Myelitis is a rare neuroimmune disorder that damages the spinal cord, causing a number of symptoms including paralysis, weakness, and neuropathic pain. *Starzec and Hammer discussed this book in an article on the Transverse Myelitis Association website . *You can find more information about the 5k Ballet series on their official website and their Facebook page .